Microsoft Dynamics 365: your ticket to digital transformation

Carl Dieryckx

Ad Ultima Group

With its Dynamics 365 platform, Microsoft is offering organizations the opportunity to move their ERP, CRM and financial software to the cloud. Many CIOs will wonder whether it is worth making the switch from a server-based business management solution like Microsoft Dynamics AX to the cloud. We think it is, if only for laying the groundwork for your organization’s digital transformation.

Microsoft Dynamics AX has been a popular ERP solution for manufacturing, building and logistics companies for many years. AX is primarily a desktop-based application, with some web and mobile add-on components.

In 2016, Microsoft launched Dynamics 365, a completely web- and cloud-based solution. Microsoft Dynamics 365 effectively brings ERP, CRM and business intelligence together in one package, all of which were previously disparate. Think of Microsoft Dynamics 365 as a one-stop shop to manage all processes and operations in your organization.

Digital transformation

The question that is on everybody’s lips now is: should we make the switch from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Microsoft Dynamics 365? Or rather: should we move our business processes to the cloud at all? We think you should. Because, apart from the many practical benefits that the package offers, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is your organization’s ticket to digital transformation.

The recent explosion of digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, AI and machine learning, has brought many opportunities, but also challenges. Digitization allows organizations to easily collect data about their processes. But in order to effectively build a data-driven business, they need to be able to manage and analyze the massive amounts of information generated by their operational processes.

With a cloud-based solution, like Microsoft Dynamics 365, this becomes a lot easier. In fact, we identified five ways in which Microsoft Dynamics 365 will boost your organization’s digital transformation.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 gives you easy and affordable access to your business processes. Just by means of a simple web browser, you can use Microsoft Dynamics 365 anywhere there is internet connection. It runs on any device (PC, tablet, phone), any platform (Windows, Mac, etc.), and any browser (IE, Chrome, Safari, etc.).

A supply chain is a complex network of operations and interactions. Data from sales, suppliers, order fulfillment, product performance, and customer service all need to be factored in when working to improve supply chain processes. With a cloud-based solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365, anyone from supply chain professional to higher management has instant access to real-time information wherever they are.

For manufacturing and logistics companies, Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers users easy access to company assets. Today’s factories are becoming more and more connected through the Internet of Things. By combining an innovative ERP like Dynamics 365 with IoT-ready parts, manufacturers can keep an even closer eye on their assets, spot broken or inefficient components, and use collected data to develop more efficient equipment.

2.More possibilities, less IT

Microsoft Dynamics 365 in the cloud no longer requires your IT staff to maintain on-premise servers and systems. Instead, Microsoft takes responsibility for monitoring and updating the underlying platform and the application itself.

Organizations that still opt for an on-premise, server-based system run the risk of needing an increasing amount of server capacity and computing power. Applications like AI and IoT require more IT power and tomorrow’s technology solutions will only be more demanding on your IT infrastructure. Which is why for small and midsized companies, cloud computing is almost a must.

3.Get ready for the future

Technology changes take place faster than ever before. With the cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365, you can easily stay up to date with the latest trends. Microsoft offers cost-effective platform updates every three months and application updates every six months. This eliminates the need for costly, disruptive major version upgrades every few years.

4.Make better and faster decisions

More insight into your business operations and into your customer needs allows your organization to make better decisions. With a cloud-based solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 you can access all data that is collected from the factory floor to the customer call center much faster and use it to improve your operations.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 includes a real-time Business Intelligence (BI) solution that provides up-to-the-minute information around how your business is performing. Using Power BI dashboards and visualizations, you can gain greater insight into your business operations, and concentrate on areas that can be optimized. More insight into your operations will eventually allow you to streamline your production processes, and get your products in the market much faster than your competitors.

5.Improve customer experience

Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrates all business and customer data into a single system. This makes it easier for your customer service department to find the right information and to respond to queries regarding order status or delivery. As such, Dynamics 365 allows you to improve the overall customer experience.

You can use the collected data and information presented in your BI dashboards to engage customers across the product lifecycle, sell value added services, and even predict what their future needs are, based on previous purchases and activity.

Conclusion: laying the groundwork for digital transformation

A cloud-based solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 can fuel your organization’s digital transformation. Not only by moving your existing business processes to the cloud, but also by creating new opportunities. As such, implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 will improve your decision-making process, enhance your customer experience, and more than likely change the way you do business forever.